Air pollution may make some bacteria in our nose and throat turn nasty

The superbug MRSA is potentially even more harmful if it is exposed to air pollution, some studies using mice and human cells suggest Health 28 February 2022 By Michael Le Page Air pollution from smoke stacks at an oil refinery Susan Santa Maria/Shutterstock Air pollution from fossil fuels and wood burning can directly affect the … Read more

Air pollution makes it harder for pollinators to find plants

A field trial found that levels of nitrogen oxides and ozone similar to those near roads led to a 70 per cent drop in the numbers of bees and butterflies on mustard plants Environment 19 January 2022 By Adam Vaughan A marbled white butterfly (Melanargia galathea) feeding on a greater knapweed flower (Centaurea scabiosa) robertharding … Read more

Ozone pollution: Gas causes $63 billion damage per year to East Asian crops

Rising levels of ground-level ozone in China and nearby countries are having a big effect on the yields of staple crops such as wheat, rice and maize Environment 17 January 2022 By Michael Le Page Emissions from vehicles in places like Beijing, China, are contributing to a rise in ozone pollution in East Asia AerialPerspective … Read more

Air pollution: One in 12 child asthma cases linked to nitrogen dioxide exposure

Researchers estimate that 1.85 million new childhood asthma cases in 2019 were linked with exposure to nitrogen dioxide, a toxic gas released by diesel vehicles Health 5 January 2022 By Adam Vaughan Heavy traffic on a street in New Delhi, India Raj K Raj/Hindustan Times/Getty Images About one in 12 new child asthma cases worldwide … Read more

Air pollution: US wildfires now lead to air pollution events affecting millions

The simultaneous occurence of extreme levels of ozone and particulate matter have increased significantly in the past decade due to wildfires in the western US Environment 5 January 2022 By Adam Vaughan Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles during the wildfire season in September 2020 Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock The area of the western … Read more

Air pollution: Almost 8000 lives being saved as US moves to vehicles that emit fewer tiny particles known as PM2.5

Almost 8000 fewer lives are being lost to air pollution from vehicle emissions in the US per year, thanks to cleaner engines that produce fewer tiny particles   Health 13 December 2021 By Clare Wilson Cars in a traffic jam Shutterstock/LanaElcova Nearly 8000 lives are being saved in the US every year thanks to … Read more